Work-Life Balance (WLB) is defined as the ability to manage both work-life and non-work life successfully. WLB can be evaluated by examining individual’s experience of Work-Family Conflict (WFC) and Family-Work Conflict (FWC), both of which can be assessed by a questionnaire developed by Netemeyer, Boles and McMurrian (1996). The aim of this study was to explore if responses to the questionnaire, the amount of time spent on studies, household chores and sick leave, were gender related or not, among civil-accountants students. The survey included 138 respondents (74 woman and 64 men). The results confirmed previous findings of a gender difference in WFC, but disconfirmed a gender difference in FWC. Additionally, women scored higher in all variables (the amount of time spent on studies, household chores and sick leaves). The result also showed a correlation between time spent on studies and the WFC and FWC, respectively. Finally the result showed a weak correlation between the number of sick days during the semester and WFC and FWC. Thus, results may suggest that gender socialization could be a contributing factor of the observed gender differences. / Work-Life Balance (WLB) definieras som förmågan att balansera arbetslivet och hemmalivet på ett framgångsrikt sätt. WLB kan utvärderas genom att undersöka individens upplevelse av Work-Family Conflict (WFC) och Family-Work Conflict (FWC), som båda mäts i Netemeyers, Boless och McMurrians (1996) enkät. Syftet med studien var att undersöka om det fanns några könsskillnader hos civilekonomsstudenter avseende WFC, FWC, tiden som spenderades på studier, på hushållsarbete samt sjukdagar per termin. Studien omfattade 138 respondenter (74 kvinnor och 64 män). Resultatet bekräftade tidigare upptäckt, att det fanns en könsskillnad i WFC, men motsatte att det skulle finnas en könsskillnad i FWC. Vidare framkom det att kvinnorna hade högre värden i samtliga variabler (antalet studietimmar per dag, hushållstimmar per dag och sjukdagar per termin). Resultatet visade även ett samband mellan antalet studietimmar per dag och WFC samt FWC. Slutligen visade resultatet en svag korrelation mellan sjukdagar per termin och WFC samt FWC. Möjligen kan köns- socialiseringen vara en bidragande faktor till de observerade könsskillnaderna.

Research Doctorate - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) / Background Due to an ongoing shortage of rural medical professionals both in Australia and internationally, the recruitment and retention of rural doctors has been extensively researched. Mostly the research used quantitative methods to focus on factors associated with rural medical workforce recruitment and retention issues, and until now, limited work has investigated inter-relationships between these factors. Although a few qualitative studies have used thematic analysis to develop models to better understand these issues, none have specifically considered the attitudes of medical students, and female rural doctors. This Thesis responds to this need by using qualitative research methods to develop a model which incorporates feminisation of the medical workforce and generational change in the 21st century. Data were collected from Australian medical students and female rural general practitioners (GPs) as study participants. Aims The broad aims were to develop a model for understanding recruitment and retention of rural doctors in Australia, incorporating concepts of place, gender, and professional identity. Research Questions How are Australian medical students' and female general practitioners' perceptions of entering and remaining in a rural health career influenced by the constructs of place, gender and professional identity? Does this perception change as doctors progress through their careers from students to practising general practitioners? Methods A case series of three qualitative studies were used to develop a model for understanding rural GP recruitment and retention. Data, collected using focus groups and interviews, were analysed thematically by domains describing participants’ lives, and the interaction between the domains was explored to better understand influences on location choice. Results The ����Landscape of fulfilment��� model which is integral to this research, incorporates the domains of self, place, work, significant others, recreation, and significant others’ work as the domains of life which influence location choice. Most participants sought balance within their lives, and maximum fulfilment in all domains, but at times they faced conflict between domains. Individuals’ gender, professional, and place identities were related to how they viewed the domains and how the domains interacted. Conclusion This model provides a way of understanding the complex interaction between aspects of life which affect a doctor’s location choice. There is important potential to use the model to inform the development of rural medical recruitment and retention strategies, and as a basis for further rural health workforce research. The model has already been used by General Practice Education and Training (GPET) in developing post graduate general practice training research, and also by the Sustainable Practice Working Group of the Rural Faculty of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) in developing strategies for sustainable rural general practice.

The expectation that employees of large organisations will work extended working hours (EWH) is a phenomenon of discourse at the societal and organisational levels. This occurs in spite of the detrimental effects that working long hours can have on employees’ mental and physical health and the well-being of their families. This thesis investigates why employees comply with this expectation by focussing on managers and professionals because they are the categories of Australian employees who work the longest hours. Texts derived from a focus group and extended interviews of 30 managers and professionals are analysed and interpreted using a computer-assisted text analysis program, linguistic analysis, and discourse linguistic interpretation. Of particular emphasis is the deontic modality that research participants use to express their obligation to expectation and their attitudes about other organisational imperatives. Also crucial to this research is the agency of the participants in terms of their capacity to make and follow their own decisions. This investigation is informed by critical post-structuralist theory of Foucaultian origin involving a pragmatic distinction between analysis for meaning potential at the text level and context for meaning at the discourse level. This empirical research found that participants commonly feel cognitive dissonance from the contradiction that EWH and work-life balance (WLB) co-exist in their same organisational discourse. This paradox complicates their responses to expectation whether the participants comply or resist. Participants’ agency is therefore judged on their level of reflexivity to these organisational challenges. The professional cohort was found to be more reflexive and thus agentically stronger because their work paths are clearer. They know what work is required and, even though their working hours may be long, they see them purely as the means to achieving prescribed ends. Public sector managers’ work is also extensive but they do not have clear boundaries and thus find the boundaries between work and nonwork non-existent or blurred. Financial service managers are more agentic than public sector managers but less than the professionals. The women in this research relate to work time and life balance differently and less easily than men, particularly those who break for motherhood and / or work part-time. The theory built in this thesis can inform organisations of the ubiquitous presence of the expectation of EWH and the dangers it provides for employees and organisations. It also provides practice guidance to organisations as to how EWH may be common but do not necessarily benefit organisations or their employees. This thesis finds that it is more sensible to support employees’ agency by acknowledging their diversity and giving them choice in determining for how long they should work. This would allow employees to identify and experience obligation to their organisation and their part in negotiated knowledge production.

The expectation that employees of large organisations will work extended working hours (EWH) is a phenomenon of discourse at the societal and organisational levels. This occurs in spite of the detrimental effects that working long hours can have on employees’ mental and physical health and the well-being of their families. This thesis investigates why employees comply with this expectation by focussing on managers and professionals because they are the categories of Australian employees who work the longest hours. Texts derived from a focus group and extended interviews of 30 managers and professionals are analysed and interpreted using a computer-assisted text analysis program, linguistic analysis, and discourse linguistic interpretation. Of particular emphasis is the deontic modality that research participants use to express their obligation to expectation and their attitudes about other organisational imperatives. Also crucial to this research is the agency of the participants in terms of their capacity to make and follow their own decisions. This investigation is informed by critical post-structuralist theory of Foucaultian origin involving a pragmatic distinction between analysis for meaning potential at the text level and context for meaning at the discourse level. This empirical research found that participants commonly feel cognitive dissonance from the contradiction that EWH and work-life balance (WLB) co-exist in their same organisational discourse. This paradox complicates their responses to expectation whether the participants comply or resist. Participants’ agency is therefore judged on their level of reflexivity to these organisational challenges. The professional cohort was found to be more reflexive and thus agentically stronger because their work paths are clearer. They know what work is required and, even though their working hours may be long, they see them purely as the means to achieving prescribed ends. Public sector managers’ work is also extensive but they do not have clear boundaries and thus find the boundaries between work and nonwork non-existent or blurred. Financial service managers are more agentic than public sector managers but less than the professionals. The women in this research relate to work time and life balance differently and less easily than men, particularly those who break for motherhood and / or work part-time. The theory built in this thesis can inform organisations of the ubiquitous presence of the expectation of EWH and the dangers it provides for employees and organisations. It also provides practice guidance to organisations as to how EWH may be common but do not necessarily benefit organisations or their employees. This thesis finds that it is more sensible to support employees’ agency by acknowledging their diversity and giving them choice in determining for how long they should work. This would allow employees to identify and experience obligation to their organisation and their part in negotiated knowledge production.

Research Doctorate - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) / Background Due to an ongoing shortage of rural medical professionals both in Australia and internationally, the recruitment and retention of rural doctors has been extensively researched. Mostly the research used quantitative methods to focus on factors associated with rural medical workforce recruitment and retention issues, and until now, limited work has investigated inter-relationships between these factors. Although a few qualitative studies have used thematic analysis to develop models to better understand these issues, none have specifically considered the attitudes of medical students, and female rural doctors. This Thesis responds to this need by using qualitative research methods to develop a model which incorporates feminisation of the medical workforce and generational change in the 21st century. Data were collected from Australian medical students and female rural general practitioners (GPs) as study participants. Aims The broad aims were to develop a model for understanding recruitment and retention of rural doctors in Australia, incorporating concepts of place, gender, and professional identity. Research Questions How are Australian medical students' and female general practitioners' perceptions of entering and remaining in a rural health career influenced by the constructs of place, gender and professional identity? Does this perception change as doctors progress through their careers from students to practising general practitioners? Methods A case series of three qualitative studies were used to develop a model for understanding rural GP recruitment and retention. Data, collected using focus groups and interviews, were analysed thematically by domains describing participants’ lives, and the interaction between the domains was explored to better understand influences on location choice. Results The ����Landscape of fulfilment��� model which is integral to this research, incorporates the domains of self, place, work, significant others, recreation, and significant others’ work as the domains of life which influence location choice. Most participants sought balance within their lives, and maximum fulfilment in all domains, but at times they faced conflict between domains. Individuals’ gender, professional, and place identities were related to how they viewed the domains and how the domains interacted. Conclusion This model provides a way of understanding the complex interaction between aspects of life which affect a doctor’s location choice. There is important potential to use the model to inform the development of rural medical recruitment and retention strategies, and as a basis for further rural health workforce research. The model has already been used by General Practice Education and Training (GPET) in developing post graduate general practice training research, and also by the Sustainable Practice Working Group of the Rural Faculty of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) in developing strategies for sustainable rural general practice.

In recent years, a growing body of research has examined the issue of work–life balance (WLB). WLB initiatives have been developed by organisations, not only to aid employees in leading healthier and more satisfying lives, but to attract and retain talent. One area where WLB issues have not been examined in detail is from the perspective of Chinese immigrant women. As one of the largest and growing Asian ethnic groups, the WLB issues faced by Chinese women are especially worthy of being examined and addressed. The primary purpose of this research was to explore the WLB experience of Chinese women in administrative roles at Auckland University of Technology (AUT). It also aims to contribute to the body of knowledge on WLB issues for minority ethnic groups and investigated Chinese women’s coping strategies for integrating work with their non-work roles. An exploratory qualitative case study approach was adopted for this study in order to compare and contrast organisational initiatives and policies for WLB with women’s experiences. A triangulated research design was also employed to glean qualitative data by virtue of multiple methods including archival evidence such as publicly available documentation, secondary research on WLB and AUT’s WLB policies, and semi-structured interviews. This study involved 12 Chinese female administrative staff and three staff members from the Human Resource Department (HRD), the Asian Staff Network (ASN) and the AUT Branch of Tertiary Institutes Allied Staff Association (TIASA). Participants were recruited by utilising sources such as the Asian Staff Network (ASN) and the researcher’s network of contacts within AUT. The findings of the study indicated that Chinese women’s WLB experience and ways of handling work–family conflict (WFC) and family–work conflict (FWC) were affected by their experiences of immigration and cultural backgrounds. In particular, their family situation had a critical influence on the way they organised their households and arranged for childcare or eldercare. Child/elder care responsibilities, personal/family emergencies, and personal/individual sacrifice engendered tensions around their ability to integrate WLB. In addition, work factors such as heavy workloads, meeting deadlines, and working longer hours, and cultural barriers caused emotional stress and physical consequences. While informal support from managers and colleagues and the WLB policies offered by the university helped women address their WLB issues, some policies were underutilised. A variety of coping strategies such as family members, win-lose strategies, time management, building clear boundaries, changing mindsets, and demonstrating commitment were actively adopted by Chinese women as mechanisms to cope with tensions between their work and family lives. The implications of these findings are discussed in light of the theory and practice of WLB.

Zugl.: Duisburg, Essen, Universiẗat, Diss., 2008 u.d.T.: Koch, A.: Familienorientierte Arbeitspolitik in der betrieblichen Praxis.

Thesis (M.N.)--University of Alberta, 2010. / A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Nursing, Nursing. Title from pdf file main screen (viewed on April 28, 2010). Includes bibliographical references.

The goal of this paper is to outline the existing perspectives of work-life balance, and to examine how they impact individual well-being and organizational productivity. The benefit of approaching work-life balance through the lens of personal and professional satisfaction is discussed. In addition, the author looks at the relationship between job satisfaction and job performance. The literature shows that satisfaction, well-being, and job performance are all related, and this poses greater implications for organizations. The author concludes with arguments in the present literature on the individual and organizational benefits of organizations adopting work-life balance policies.

Thesis (MComm)--Stellenbosch University, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Wellness is the desired optimum level of existence an individual can experience and is conceptualized to be the balance among six dimensions, namely physical, emotional, social, vocational, spiritual and intellectual. An imbalance may be created through various factors that could affect the individual adversely and disturb the balance or wellness aspiring for. This study was prompted by the significant influence of unhealthy behaviours on the South African population and its concomitant effects on the workplace. The wellness of the individual is gaining new interest in times where human beings are plagued by increased levels of stress, disease as well as constant and unpredictable change. Wellness programmes are at the forefront of restoring the balance of the working population and the strive towards excellence presents advantages to both the employer and employee. There appears to be an increase in the emergence of wellness interventions since its initial origin in the mining industry of South Africa. There is, however, a lack of research conducted on these programmes to support the development and future improvement and expansion of this vital intervention. This study aimed to investigate the extent of wellness programmes in South African organisations as well as the sophisticated conceptualization of these programmes within this context. The study further extended to the formulation of a model presenting the system of wellness as well as its practical application. In order to investigate and explore these factors, a research questionnaire was developed and presented to a sample of 58 respondents for completion. The results indicate that there are various sophisticated methods applied in the structure and maintenance of wellness programmes in those organisations with such programmes implemented. A tendency towards appreciating the concept of wellness was further identified among respondents. It was however, also ascertained that specific guidance and information about the field of wellness programmes could be advantageous to the future development and frequency of such interventions in the South African business framework. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: "Wellness" is die begeerde optimum vlak van bestaan wat 'n individu kan ervaar en word voorgehou as die balans tussen ses dimensies naamlik die fisieke, emosionele, sosiale, beroepsgerig, sowel as geestesingesteldheid en intellektualiteit. 'n Wanbelans kan geskep word deur verskillende faktore wat die individu nadelig kan raak en die balans versteur of die "wellness" waarna hy streefbenadeel. Hierdie studie is aangespoor deur die belangrike invloed van ongesonde gedrag op die Suid Afrikaanse bevolking en gepaardgaande invloed by die werkplek. Die "wellness" van die individu wek nuwe belangstelling in tye waar mense se lewens al meer versuur word deur verhoogde stresvlakke, siektes sowel as voortdurende en onvoorspelbare verandering. "Wellness" programme is aan die voorpunt om die balans van die werkende bevolking te herstel en die strewe na perfeksie verteenwoordig 'n tweeledige voordeel vir sowel die wergewer as die wernemer. Dit kom voor asof daar 'n vermeerdering is in die toetrede tot die "wellness" programme se bestaansvlak sedert die aansprong daarvan sy beslag gekry het in die mynwese van Suid Afrika. Daar is egter 'n gebrek aan navorsing wat gedoen is aangaande hierdie programme om die ontwikkeling daarvan te ondersteun asook die toekomstige verbetering en uitbreiding van hierdie lewensbelangrike intervensie in die individu se lewe. Met hierdie studiestuk is daar beoog om die omvang van "wellness" programme in Suid Afrikaanse organisasies te ondersoek sowel as die gesofistikeerde begrip van hierdie programme in konteks te plaas. Die studie is verder verbreed tot die ontwikkeling van 'n model wat die stelsel van "wellness" en sy praktiese toepassing uitbeeld. Om hierdie faktore te ondersoek is 'n navorsingsvraelys ontwikkel en voorgelê aan 58 respondente vir voltooiing. Die resultate dui aan dat daar verskeie gesofistikeerde metodes aangewend word in die samestelling en onderhoud van "wellness" programme in daardie organisasies wat wel sulke programme ingestel het. 'n Tendens is waargeneem dat die konsep van "wellness" meer en meer na waarde geskat word soos aangedui deur die resultate behaal. Diesnieteenstaande is daar ook vasgestel dat spesifieke leiding en inligting omtrent hierdie veld van "welIness" voordeling kan wees vir die toekomstige ontwikkeling en behaling van sulke intervensies in die Suid Afrikaanse besigheidskonteks.